There’s always someone in the office breakroom who doesn’t clean up after themselves or insists on bringing tuna sandwiches to work. Indoor air quality is just as important at work as it is in your El Paso, TX home, which is why you want to keep those breakroom odors in check.
Fight Odors With Odors
Certain smells permeate the office breakroom and are difficult to cover with air fresheners, but fighting foul smells with more pleasant odors is worth a try. For example, an open box of baking soda in the breakroom fridge can neutralize odors before they have a chance to spread. White vinegar also covers up smells, and its own scent dissipates within moments. Freshly ground coffee, vanilla-soaked cotton swabs, and essential oils are all great options for covering up unpleasant smells.
Ventilate the Space
Odors tend to accumulate in breakrooms without sufficient ventilation. Unless you have a commercial kitchen, it’s unlikely that your breakroom has an over-the-stove hood or another dedicated ventilator. Investing in a whole-building ventilator is one option that’s beneficial to everyone in the office. Ventilation decreases odors, removes chemical vapors, and eliminates trapped gases that could be making your employees sick.
Alternatively, you can open a window if there’s one in the breakroom to clear the air and reduce humidity. Running the air conditioner during the summer will also keep humidity levels in check.
Clean Out the Refrigerator
Since there’s rarely a dedicated employee to clean out the breakroom fridge, the smell can get overwhelming. It’s important to clean out a breakroom fridge at least once per week to avoid stagnant odors. Encourage employees to go through the fridge every Friday and remove anything they’ve left behind, then clean the refrigerator thoroughly with a damp, soapy rag. Use baking soda on surfaces with stubborn stains, and dry the interior completely before calling it a day.
Discover other ways to improve your business’s indoor air quality with HVAC services from Kings Aire. Call us at 915-229-2133 to schedule an appointment.
Image provided by Shutterstock